India, June 16 -- The Uttarakhand high court on Monday expressed concern over the rising number of helicopter accidents during the ongoing Char Dham Yatra and called on the state government to take strict measures to ensure the safety of pilgrims.

A division bench comprising chief justice G. Narender and justice Alok Mahra raised queries before the start of regular proceedings on Monday. Addressing chief standing counsel (CSC) Chandrashekhar Rawat, the bench raised pointed queries about the government's response to the repeated mishaps. The court noted that weather conditions in the Char Dham region were adverse and questioned the rationale behind allowing heli services to continue under such circumstances.

Rawat said that the court has...